Recently identified hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolates that are infectious in cell culture provide a genetic system to evaluate the significance of virus-host interactions for HCV replication. We have completed a systematic RNAi screen wherein siRNAs were designed that target 62 host genes encoding proteins that physically interact with HCV RNA or proteins or belong to cellular pathways thought to modulate HCV infection. This includes 10 host proteins that we identify in this study to bind HCV NS5A. siRNAs that target 26 of these host genes alter infectious HCV production >3-fold. Included in this set of 26 were siRNAs that target Dicer, a principal component of the RNAi silencing pathway. Contrary to the hypothesis that RNAi is an antiviral pathway in mammals, as has been reported for subgenomic HCV replicons, siRNAs that target Dicer inhibited HCV replication. Furthermore, siRNAs that target several other components of the RNAi pathway also inhibit HCV replication. MicroRNA profiling of human liver, human hepatoma Huh-7.5 cells, and Huh-7.5 cells that harbor replicating HCV demonstrated that miR-122 is the predominant microRNA in each environment. miR-122 has been previously implicated in positively regulating the replication of HCV genotype 1 replicons. We find that 2-O-methyl antisense oligonucleotide depletion of miR-122 also inhibits HCV genotype 2a replication and infectious virus production. Our data define 26 host genes that modulate HCV infection and indicate that the requirement for functional RNAi for HCV replication is dominant over any antiviral activity this pathway may exert against HCV.antivirals ͉ miR-122 ͉ RNAi ͉ HCVcc-siRNA H epatitis C virus (HCV) has a notable ability to establish persistent infections in Ϸ70% of cases, resulting in 130 million chronically infected people throughout the world (1). This prevalence has spurred considerable interest in the study of HCV-host interactions, on both cellular and molecular levels. The inability to grow HCV in cell culture led some groups to focus on the identification of cellular proteins that interact with individual HCV proteins or RNA elements, resulting in the accumulation of a large number of putative HCV-host interactions. Unfortunately, the significance of most of these with respect to the HCV life cycle is currently unknown (reviewed in ref.2). Over the past 6 years, cell culture systems have been developed that enable the characterization of HCV replication and entry (3-6). This effort recently culminated in the development of cell culture systems that reproduce the entire viral life cycle (7-9). A number of virus-host interactions have been characterized by using these experimental systems. For example, CD81 has been demonstrated to play a role in HCV entry (10-12).Sequence-specific gene silencing of RNAi is ideal for assessing the genetic phenotypes associated with virus-host interactions. We have previously shown that siRNAs are highly effective at silencing either host or viral RNAs in cells that contain replicating HCV, demonstrating th...
bTectiviridae is a family of tailless bacteriophages with Gram-negative and Gram-positive hosts. The family model PRD1 and its close relatives all infect a broad range of enterobacteria by recognizing a plasmid-encoded conjugal transfer complex as a receptor. In contrast, tectiviruses with Gram-positive hosts are highly specific to only a few hosts within the same bacterial species. The cellular determinants that account for the observed specificity remain unknown. Here we present the genome sequence of Wip1, a tectivirus that infects the pathogen Bacillus anthracis. The Wip1 genome is related to other tectiviruses with Gram-positive hosts, notably, AP50, but displays some interesting differences in its genome organization. We identified Wip1 candidate genes for the viral spike complex, the structure located at the capsid vertices and involved in host receptor binding. Phage adsorption and inhibition tests were combined with immunofluorescence microscopy to show that the Wip1 gene product p23 is a receptor binding protein. His-p23 also formed a stable complex with p24, a Wip1 protein of unknown function, suggesting that the latter is involved with p23 in host cell recognition. The narrow host range of phage Wip1 and the identification of p23 as a receptor binding protein offer a new range of suitable tools for the rapid identification of B. anthracis.
Mouse cells are not permissive for the replication of human rhinovirus type 2 (HRV2). To determine the role of the HRV2 internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in determining species specificity, a recombinant poliovirus (P1/HRV2) was constructed by substituting the poliovirus IRES with the IRES from HRV2. This recombinant virus replicated in all human and murine cell lines examined, demonstrating that the HRV2 IRES does not limit viral replication in transformed murine cells. P1/HRV2 replicated in the brain and spinal cord in neonatal but not adult mice transgenic for the poliovirus receptor, CD155. Passage of P1/HRV2 in mice led to selection of a virus that caused paralysis in neonatal mice. To determine the relationship between HRV2 IRES-mediated translation and replication of P1/HRV2 in mice, recombinant human adenoviruses were used to express bicistronic mRNAs in murine organs. The results demonstrate that the HRV2 IRES mediates translation in organs of neonatal but not adult mice. These findings show that HRV2 IRES-mediated translation is a determinant of virus replication in the murine brain and spinal cord and suggest that the IRES determines the species specificity of HRV2 infection.Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are nonenveloped, positivestranded RNA viruses of the family Picornaviridae (8). Approximately 100 HRV serotypes have been identified and divided into two groups based on receptor usage. The receptor for major group HRVs is human intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (hICAM-1), and the receptor for minor group HRVs is human low-density lipoprotein receptor (8). HRVs replicate in the epithelium of the human respiratory tract (1, 2, 11, 41) and are responsible for the majority of common cold infections of humans (36). Only humans develop clinical symptoms after HRV infection; experimental asymptomatic infections have been documented in chimpanzees (10) and gibbons (35). A rodent model for infection with wild-type HRV has not been identified (22).A small-animal model of HRV infection would be useful for elucidating the mechanisms of HRV-induced pathogenesis and to develop therapeutic interventions. The limited host range of most HRV serotypes (8) has hindered establishment of such a model. Mouse cells are not permissive for the replication of minor group serotypes, despite the ability of these viruses to enter these cells after binding the murine homolog of human low-density lipoprotein receptor. Two exceptions are HRV1A (37) and a variant of HRV2 (HRV2/L) selected by passage in mouse cells (43). The changes required for growth of HRV2/L in mouse cells have not been identified (43). HRV2/L produces altered P2 proteins in infected cells, suggesting that the block to HRV2 replication in murine cells could be due to a defect in RNA replication (29). This conclusion is supported by the finding that HRV2/L is less sensitive than HRV2 to chemical inhibitors of RNA replication (43). It is believed that mouse cell lines are neither permissive nor susceptible to infection with most major group HRVs. While the block to ...
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